Metamorphosis
January 2011
Meeting for Worship Sundays at 10 AM at Explorations Academy, 1701 Ellis Street, Bellingham
Phone 360-734-0244 Mailing Address P.O. Box 30144 Bellingham, 98228-2144 Website BellinghamFriends.org
Co-Clerks: Mimi Freshley, (933-4566) and Susan Richardson (733-5477), Ministry and Counsel Members: Mimi Freshley, Alice Robb (366-6005), Dorrie Jordan and Howard Harris (733-9071), Childrens Program Clerk, Jessica Bee (393-4249)
Metamorphosis Editor: Sharon Trent (714-6141) Sharon_trent@comcast.net
Query for January
“What role do we play in accompanying one another, encouraging one another and bringing each other’s attention to the Eternal Love that is at the heart of the universe?”
from To Be Broken and Tender by Margery Post Abbott
Calendar
January 23 – SPICES – Integrity – Don Goldstein and Kirsten Ebsen
Monday Jan 24 – Spirit Group at Joanne Cowan’s (303-902-6375) , chapters 1-4 in Parker Palmer’s A Hidden Wholeness
Tuesday Jan 25 – Interfaith Meeting, 7 pm, First Congregational Church
January 30 – Mad Hatter Tea Party – intergenerational. Silly Hats welcome
February 6 – Potluck
February 13 – Meeting for Worship for Business
Monday Feb 14 – Book Group at the Halls (734-8170), discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
February 2 – SPICES – Community – Virginia
February 27 – State of the Meeting second hour
Save the Date Retreat in May with Lopez Preparative Meeting at Quaker Cove on May 22, 2011. The theme will be Spiritual Storytelling with Kathy Hyzy. Don’t miss this all-day opportunity.
Eco-Suggestion of the Month
Use alfalfa meal for icy walks instead of salt or chemical de-icers. The nitrogen in alfalfa meal promotes melting; the granular nature provides traction. Afterwards, sweep the alfalfa meal into your garden beds as a natural soil amendment. Keep out of streets and storm drains.
Speak Truth to Power
Please contact your state representatives and senator about the state budget. Please ask them not to cut essential services such as health care, education and disability payments, but instead to eliminate tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy. Suggest that they impose a tax or fee on industrial pollution rather than on the poor. We need to learn to tax what we don’t want, not what we do want.
Children’s Program Corner
Whew, we’ve wound down a bit after the hubbub of the holiday season and things are moving right along in the Children’s Program. After the beautiful Spiral Walk for our Holiday program I was sure we would be hard pressed to have another second hour that could compete. So we’re not. Instead we have put together an intergenerational activity to knock your socks off. The Lego Mad Hatter Tea Party is planned for Sunday January 30th as a second hour from 11:30 to 1:30. We will have a finger food potluck with tea, a recycled hat making project and lots of Legos to play with. We have posted an invitation on Neighborhood-kids.com so that others in the community can join in the fun. There will even be a silly hat contest with prizes the most unusual Noggin Topper!
Teaching Tidbit
We have had a lot of fun with the kids over the holiday season and now we are bringing in the New Year with some enticing themes. For the current and upcoming months the themes are:
January: Historical and Contemporary Quakers
February: Civil Rights Movement, non-violent communication, accepting differences
March: Inner Peace, meditation, yoga, self care, journaling.
Please consider connecting with our fabulous Kristin to sign up to work with children on these engaging topics. We always have a teacher support person available as well as some wonderful curriculum to work with!
Draft Minutes for Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business – December 13, 2010
Clerk: Mimi Freshley; Recording Clerk: Betty McMahon
Present: Howard Harris, Dorrie Jordan, Dave Hopkinson, Elizabeth Lyford, Virginia Herrick, Doris Ferm, Sharon Trent, Kristin McLewin, Christina Crosetti, Jessica Bee, Joanne Cowan, Susan Richardson, Tom Hall, & Lorina Hall, & Margi White
Our Meeting for Business began with opening silence at 11:35 a.m.
Our History – Howard Harris
During the 19th century, the United States policy was to push westward and get rid of American Indian tribes. By 1860, most Indians were on reservations, in the Northwest Territories or beyond. During the Civil War, there was no pressure to remove Indian tribes, but as soon as the war ended, the pressure was on again. President Grant did his best to alleviate this situation, and Howard mentioned a Quaker (Thomas Beatty) who taught Indians and worked to assist their adjustment to European life.
Our Future – If unity in intention exists, issues go forward. Perhaps, we could use more unity regarding our Meeting Space, in order not to lose our momentum.
- Call Friends who we haven’t seen recently.
- Tom spoke about the possible creation of a “hidden prison” in Whatcom County. There will be a public meeting about this next month on February 3 at 6 pm.
Agenda Review – After some adjustment, the agenda was approved.
Approval of Minutes – Last month’s nomination report should read that Kelly Wycoff’s hospitality position has been filled. NYUM should read NPYM.
Committee Reports
Ministry and Counsel
Query (from Marge Abbott’s book, To Be Broken and Tender) –
“What role do we play in accompanying one another, encouraging one another and bringing each other’s attention to the Eternal Love that is at the heart of the universe?”
Nominating issues (Alice has decided not to return to M+C at this time. We recommend that Nominating Committee find a replacement, someone that could take over as clerk and begin soon for more overlap; all current members are scheduled to go off in May, 2011.
Member concerns
Rides for Margie – Susan is coordinating rides for Margie in January; Mimi will do so in February and Dorrie in March. Please contact them if you can offer a ride.
Retention of members/attenders was brought up as a concern and discussed. What are the factors that play into people leaving? Soup Suppers were nice to get to know people informally; maybe we could consider having them for newcomers to mix with old timers – possibly having soup supper quarterly? We will try to come up with other ideas about how to connect with people and keep in touch.
Schedule – January 9, 2011 No meeting due to snow
January 16, 2011 – Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business
January 23, 2011 – SPICES – Integrity – Don Goldstein and Kirsten Ebsen
January 30, 2011 – Intergenerational
February 6, 2011 – Potluck
February 13, 2011 – Business Meeting
February 02, 2011 – SPICES – Community – Virginia
February 27, 2011 – State of the Meeting second hour – (Don and Allen have been notified that we have no open second hours until the last week of May, so FGC discussion would need to be at a potluck.)
Save the Date Retreat in May with Lopez Preparative Meeting at Quaker Cove on May 22, 2011. The theme will be Spiritual Storytelling with Kathy Hyzy. Don’t miss this all-day opportunity.
The State of the Meeting Report is coming up. We need someone who would be willing to write it. All committee clerks need to send in reports before Meeting for Business on February 13, 2011.
Next M & C meeting will be on February 8, 2011 at Howard’s home.
Children’s Program – (Jessica Bee)
1. We invite all interested adults to sign up to be volunteers to be called upon should Brooke need help in childcare. Brooke or Kendra will have a list of volunteers they can call on with a tap on their shoulders during Meeting for Worship.
2. On January 30th, we will host a Mad Hatter Lego Tea Party for second hour from 11:30am- 1:30pm.
3. We would like to put the Mad Hatter Lego Tea Party on some children’s community calendars. This was approved by Meeting.
Nominating Committee – (Virginia Herrick)
1. Nominating Committee asks Friends to accept for seasoning the nomination of Lorina Hall to Ministry and Counsel. Alice is continuing her sabbatical from M&C through spring, so Lorina will be filling out her term, and then continuing on for a new term through spring of 2013. We are very grateful to her for stepping in early to help ensure more continuity on M&C.
2. Action: 2 minutes: Nominating Committee asks Friends to accept for seasoning the nomination of Tom Solenberger (the younger) to Friends Earth care Committee. He will be filling out John Horner’s term through spring then continuing on for a new term through spring of 2013. We really appreciate him stepping in early and making that commitment to remain on the committee.
2. Action: 3 minutes: Nominating Committee asks that Friends give final approval to the names brought forward last month by M&C for the Outreach and Welcoming Group: Allen Stockbridge, clerk; Don Goldstein; Virginia Herrick; Joann Cowan; and Howard Harris. We would also like Friends to approve these nominations as two-year terms for the future. For this year, the subcommittee will be deciding among themselves who will stay on for just one year, and who for two, in order to get the staggered terms that is our intention.
3. Action: 5 minutes: Nominating Committee, at the urging of Communications Committee, asks Friends to create a Webmaster position under “Communications,” and accept for seasoning our Friend John Hatten for that position. (Information: Dave Hopkinson will remain on Communications Committee as clerk and general coordinator of committee activities, through the completion of his term this spring.)
4. Information: 2 minutes: Friends, time for inner searching! Please let Nominating Committee (myself, Judy Hopkinson, and Sharon Trent) know of your leadings. Among the opportunities this year are clerk of meeting, co-clerk of meeting, recording clerk, and positions on almost every committee. There are also many “solo” roles that are available to keep the Meeting connected to the wider world. If you feel led in a new direction, don’t be shy: let us know! If you feel led to stay where you are, please let us know that as well. In less than two months, Nominating Committee hopes to bring to March M4W4B a complete slate of nominees, and we’d love to find every position filled. This is a joyful process: fitting our many wonderful Friends to the roles that best serves them and the Meeting, and giving as many Friends as possible a chance to experience the sense of community and belonging that are the essence of Friends Meeting. Join in!
Friends Earth care – (Doris Ferm)
- Eco-Suggestion of the Month: Use alfalfa meal for icy walks instead of salt or chemical de-icers. The nitrogen in alfalfa meal promotes melting; the granular nature provides traction. Afterwards, sweep the alfalfa meal into your garden beds as a natural soil amendment. Keep out of streets and storm drains.
2. Reminder: Keep talking to Congress about the perils we face if we continue to do nothing about global warming. See the FCN Washington Newsletter for July-August. (www.fcnl.org)
3. Judy will have available a list of items that can be recycled.
Peace and Social Concerns – (Jeanine Hart-Horner)
- Fellowship of Reconciliation sent P & SC a letter about S.T.A.R.T. (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) regarding the tensions between Russia and the United States regarding nuclear powers. FCNL requests support and ratification-asking our two senators to get behind this issue and our Meeting to endorse it. The Meeting approved.
- SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER – Please contact your state representatives and senator about the state budget. Please ask them not to cut essential services such as health care, education and disability payments, but instead to eliminate tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy. Suggest that they impose a tax or fee on industrial pollution rather than on the poor. We need to learn to tax what we don’t want, not what we do want.
Interfaith
Interfaith’s 30th annual meeting will take place on January 25, 2011 at the First Congregational Church, 7 pm. Interfaith lost 30% of their funding for 2011. They thanked our Meeting for the Christmas contribution.
Treasurer’s Report (Don Goldstein, given by Joanne Cowan)
Account balances at end of Fourth Quarter, 2010:
WECU – TOTAL 17,484.41
General Checking 75.10
General Savings 3,837.37
Meeting House Fund Savings 2,878.09
Quaker Activity Aid Fund 125.10
FGC Gathering Sponsorship Fund 1,691.28
Meeting House Fund CD, matures in October 2012 8,877.47
Whidbey Island Bank – TOTAL 11,293.99
24-month CD, matures July 2012 3,818.77
24-month CD, matures September 2012 3,816.23
24-month CD, matures April 2011 3,658.99
Scottrade – TOTAL (Close of market 12/31/10) 40,847.07
Ariel Fund 13,606.55
Calvert Social Investment Bond Fund 12,075.20
Parnassus Equity Income Fund 15,165.32
GRAND TOTAL 69,625.47
12/31/10 9/30/10 Gain(loss) for Quarter
Operating funds 3,912.47 3,069.67 842.80
Quaker Activity Aid/
FGC Gathering funds 1,816.38 1,785.72 30.66
Meeting House funds 63,896.62 60,814.77 3,081.85
Narrative:
1. The very small balance shown for our General Checking account results from the fact that two substantial donations received and deposited in December 2011 were actually intended as donations for 2011, and so have been recorded as if deposited on January 3rd. Our checking balance is actually quite sufficient to pay our rent and other early-in-month expenses in January.
2. The overall gain in operating funds during the quarter reflects higher donations than for similar periods earlier in the year. All budgeted donations out for 2010 were paid by early December, and the operating fund balance is well above the 15%-of-budget minimum.
3. The gain in scholarship/sponsorship funds was caused by additional contributions to the FGC Gathering Sponsorship Fund. Quaker Activity Aid payments of $196.60 were made during November.
4. The gain in Meeting House funds was caused by increases in the values of our market investments in two of the three mutual funds, plus interest received on our WECU CD and the three Whidbey Island Bank CDs.
5. The remainder of this report (below) is a two-page comparison of budgeted versus actual income and expenses through the end of 2010, by line item. It is included in the emailing to BFM Friends on the “business” email list, but (for space reasons) not in the version submitted for printing in January’s Metamorphosis. If you would like a copy and did not receive one by email, contact Don Goldstein (671-1395, dnx57@yahoo.com).
The comparison shows the importance of unpledged contributions in 2010, which accounted for about 26.5% of our total income. On the expense side, we budgeted about $1226 more than was actually spent, with the majority of that accounted for by the fact that $800 of the Children’s Program Coordinator Honorarium was unspent due to her resignation in August. Other items on which we underspent the budget included the Quarterly Meeting Assessment, for which the per-person rate was only half of what we expected; childcare, partly due to the loss of two families with multiple children; newsletter postage, partly due to some postage being donated; and Hospitality Committee, despite the fact that Meeting for Business lunch expenses were paid even though they hadn’t been budgeted. Items for which the budget was overspent included office supplies and non-newsletter postage; newsletter duplication (Copy Source increased its rates during 2010); Ministry & Counsel Committee expenses; and Special Events, for which some of the expense was fees paid in advance for our 2011 retreat. The apparent overspending on the Western Friend line is simply the result of a smaller number of Friends subscribing for 2011 than did so for 2010. Our actual operating deficit for 2010 was $323.94, as compared with a budgeted deficit of $5,140. To be fair about this, we did know in advance that the actual deficit would be less than the amount “budgeted” since the budget, for lack of any prior data, did not include any amount for unpledged contributions. As a percentage of the 2010 budget, the actual operating deficit was just 1.92%.
| Bellingham Friends Meeting 2010 Budget to Actual Report for Full Fiscal Year | ||||
| Item | Actual | Budget | Variance | % of Budget |
| Operating Income | ||||
| Pledged Contributions | $11,110.00 | $11,660.00 | $(550.00) | 95.28% |
| Additional Contributions | $4,053.63 | $0.00 | $4,053.63 | |
| Interest Income | $10.85 | $40.00 | $(29.15) | 27.13% |
| Donations for Lunch | $115.25 | $0.00 | $115.25 | |
| Total Operating Income | $15,289.73 | $11,700.00 | $3,589.73 | 130.68% |
| Operating Expenses | ||||
| Administration | ||||
| Insurance | $475.00 | $475.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Quarterly Meeting Assessment | $57.00 | $120.00 | $63.00 | 47.50% |
| Rent | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| State Fees | $19.00 | $19.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Supplies, Postage, Checks | $46.90 | $25.00 | $(21.90) | 187.60% |
| Yearly Meeting Assessment | $1,694.00 | $1,716.00 | $22.00 | 98.72% |
| Total Administration | $8,291.90 | $8,355.00 | $63.10 | 99.24% |
| Children’s Program Committee | ||||
| Childcare | $1,533.51 | $1,730.00 | $196.49 | 88.64% |
| Supplies and Materials | $85.42 | $100.00 | $14.58 | 85.42% |
| Honorarium | $1,600.00 | $2,400.00 | $800.00 | 66.67% |
| Total Children’s Program Committee | $3,218.93 | $4,230.00 | $1,011.07 | 76.10% |
| Communications Committee | ||||
| Advertising | $44.00 | $40.00 | $(4.00) | 110.00% |
| Directory | $19.53 | $30.00 | $10.47 | 65.10% |
| Newsletter Postage and Labels | $33.85 | $120.00 | $86.15 | 28.21% |
| Newsletter Printing | $210.62 | $180.00 | $(30.62) | 117.01% |
| P.O. Box | $60.00 | $65.00 | $5.00 | 92.31% |
| Website/Other | $30.00 | $30.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Total Communications Committee | $398.00 | $465.00 | $67.00 | 85.59% |
| Bellingham Friends Meeting 2010 Budget to Actual Report for Full Fiscal Year | ||||
| Item | Actual | Budget | Variance | % of Budget |
| Donations Out | ||||
| AFSC | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| FCNL | $120.00 | $120.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| FCWPP | $125.00 | $100.00 | $(25.00) | 125.00% |
| FGC | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Friends Peace Teams | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| FWCC | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Interfaith Coalition | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Quaker Earth care Witness | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Right Sharing of World Resources | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Whatcom Peace and Justice Center | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Donations Under $100 | $370.00 | $370.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Total Donations Out | $2,515.00 | $2,490.00 | $(25.00) | 101.00% |
| Hospitality Committee | $185.46 | $250.00 | $64.54 | 74.18% |
| Ministry and Counsel Committee | $146.17 | $125.00 | $(21.17) | 116.94% |
| Gifts | $0.00 | $75.00 | $75.00 | 0.00% |
| Other and Suffering | $75.00 | $200.00 | $125.00 | 37.50% |
| Oversight Committee for Lopez P.M. | $98.86 | $100.00 | $1.14 | 98.86% |
| Peace and Social Concerns Committee | $0.00 | $50.00 | $50.00 | 0.00% |
| Quaker Activity Aid | $200.00 | $200.00 | $0.00 | 100.00% |
| Special Events | $380.35 | $300.00 | $(80.35) | 126.78% |
| Western Friend | $104.00 | $0.00 | $(104.00) | -100.00% |
| Total Operating Expenses | $15,613.67 | $16,840.00 | $1,226.33 | 92.72% |
| Net Operating Budget | $(323.94) | $(5,140.00) | $4,816.06 | 6.30% |
| FCWPP Public Policy Work Plan: 2011
Approved by FCWPP Legislative Committee – 11/30/2010. For more information contact Tom Hall or look at the website: fcwpp.org Criminal Justice: Enable offenders to redeem themselves and reintegrate into society; Give priority to efforts to repair the harm suffered by victims over applying punishments to offenders; Replace costly incarceration through diversion, drug treatment, job training, and education; Redress racial inequity of current criminal justice system Drug Reform: educate legislators and public about racial disparities in arrests and prosecution; Decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana; Work toward regulation of marijuana use and production, treating its abuse as a public health problem Voting Rights for Ex-Prisoners Delete misleading language on the ballot envelope Sentencing Reform Establish a sentencing review board, reduce sentence lengths, and expand earned release; End the sentence of life without the possibility of parole for juveniles; Reform Three Strikes law; use Indeterminate Sentence Review Board Death Penalty: Register our moral objection to the death penalty Restorative Justice: Seek passage of enabling legislation to allow local law enforcement agencies and courts to: Develop diversion programs that bring victims, offenders, and the community together to mend the harm done; determine which crimes and which individuals are best served by these programs Draft legislative language to define restorative justice Local Responses to Global Challenges; Protect the health of our people and our environment; Promote population stabilization; Ensure responsible transportation options for sustainability; Provide local control over state investments Preserve Environmental Protection Program: Protect funding for the Take Charge program to promote population stabilization Provide Transportation Choices Support: Cost Benefit Law for Multimodal Transportation Investments; Transportation Funding to Include Multimodal options; Complete Streets program to assure Multimodal accessibility Establish a State Bank Coal Free Future for Washington: Address environmental impacts of coal and phase out Trans Alta plant Health Care Reform: Draft and implement rules for national health care act at the state level to maximize benefits for the social safety net Tax reform: Reform tax structure to be more equitable
Member Concerns – Please sign up for tasks and responsibilities to help make our weekly Meeting run more smoothly.
Our Meeting closed at 1 pm. Submitted by Betty McMahon |